By Canadian Press

Violent Iraq, Lebanon protests affecting Canadian military’s anti-ISIL mission

Oct 31, 2019 | 11:55 AM

OTTAWA — The Canadian military is being forced to adjust and even curtail some aspects of its anti-ISIL mission in Iraq and Lebanon as anti-government protests rock the two countries and threaten to further destabilize the Middle East.

The protests began several weeks ago as anger and frustration over endemic corruption, unemployment and a lack of basic services drove thousands of citizens into the streets to call for change, prompting the prime ministers of both countries to resign this week.

The protests have also been marred by violence as clashes have erupted between pro- and anti-government demonstrators in Lebanon, while more than 200 protesters in Iraq have been killed and thousands more injured, many allegedly at the hands of local security forces.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Brig.-Gen. Michel-Henri St-Louis, the top commander of Canadian Forces in the region, says his troops continue to train and support their Iraqi and Lebanese counterparts as part of the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

St-Louis also says the protests have in some cases made it difficult for the Canadians to move around, forced them to pull back or temporarily suspend some of their work.

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St-Louis would not speak to what long-term impact the instability could cause for the mission or whether additional security measures have been implemented to protect the hundreds of troops under his command, but promised their safety and protection are his top priority.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2019.

The Canadian Press